Briere out with flu, groin?
The Flyers will be without Danny Briere for a third consecutive game. He missed the first two serving his suspension for a hit on Colorado's Scott Hannan. Now he is out with the flu. Could it be worse?
Danny Briere will not skate Saturday night in Atlanta.
No, that is not a misprint. No, his suspension was not extended.
Briere picked up the flu bug over the Thanksgiving holiday and will be unable to play. He was suspended by the NHL for two games on Tuesday for his hit on Colorado defenseman Scott Hannan but completed that term on Friday.
Is the flu the only thing bothering Briere?
A Flyers source is telling me that Briere is also struggling with his groin again, just a few weeks after he came back from a quad injury that we were told was unrelated to last year's saga. He missed 53 games last year with a nagging groin problem.
Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren denied the claim on Saturday night. He was attending the Phantoms' game in Central Pennsylvania against the Hershey Bears.
Speaking of suspension, Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta was suspended for two games by the NHL on Saturday for his hit on Jared Ross on Black Friday. I am told that Ross will not skate in Atlanta. That means Jon Kalinski will probably play his first NHL game this season against the Thrashers.
Kaleta is not one of the NHL's more respected players. He plays on the edge, making questionable hits - he had two this week alone - and refuses to drop the gloves to defend himself or teammates.
The Flyers are trying to extend a 14-game winning streak against Atlanta tonight at Philips Arena. It is the longest active winning streak against one opponent in the NHL.
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